Beyoncé says 'I'm here as a mother' as she endorses Kamala Harris at massive rally in Texas

HOUSTON, TX - It was a searing hot - but unsubstantiated - rumor during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago two months ago.

It didn't happen.

Beyoncé, whose hit song "Freedom" has been adopted by the vice president as her campaign trail anthem, spoke ahead of Harris and introduced her at the event, which leaned heavily into reproductive rights.

And she emphasized that "I'm not here as a celebrity, I'm not here as a politician, I'm here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies."

Harris, who has made the issue of reproductive rights a centerpiece of her presidential campaign, took aim at the Lone Star State's extremely restrictive abortion law. And the rally included speeches by a number of people adversely impacted by the state ban.

Reproductive rights have been a winning issue for Democrats ever since the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in the summer of 2022 overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion for decades.

"Texas, what we're experiencing here is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of it," Harris charged.

Beyoncé, who was introduced by her mother, fashion designer and philanthropist Tina Knowles, was joined on stage by singer and actress Kelly Rowland, her Destiny's Child bandmate.

"H-Town. We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud Texan women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who has been pushing for what this country really needs right now," Beyoncé said. 

And Rowland, standing next to Beyoncé, noted that "Houston, you've already had a hand in creating destiny, so do what you do and do this thing again."

While Beyoncé was the biggest celebrity on the stage, the rally included another icon.

Texas native and legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Willie Nelson performed earlier in the evening.

Introduced as a "Texas voter," the 91-year-old Nelson asked the crowd are "we ready to say, Madam President."

Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba spoke earlier during the rally. The Harris campaign said the crowd was the largest yet at one of the vice president's rallies.

It was the second straight night that Harris had the support of major celebrities.

At a rally in suburban Atlanta where she teamed up with former President Obama, rock legend Bruce Springsteen - who has been supporting Democratic presidential candidates for two decades - performed three songs.

Also speaking at the vice president's rally, which her campaign said attracted 23,000 people, were filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, film director, producer, screenwriter and actor Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Trump, who was in Austin, Texas earlier on Friday, took aim at Harris.

"Today she's in Texas to rub shoulders with woke celebrities," the former president charged as he spotlighted the issue of immigration and border security at an event in Austin.

It was a similar message from Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, who also criticized Harris for campaigning with celebrities.

Whatley argued that "Harris' refusal to acknowledge the border crisis she created is one of many reasons why Texas is firmly Trump Country - Kamala Harris broke the southern border, but President Trump will fix it."

The stop by Harris in Houston was the first time in decades that a Democratic Party standard-bearer held a major campaign event in Texas in the home stretch ahead of Election Day.

But the trip doesn't mean the Harris campaign thinks Texas is in play in the White House race. 

Even though President Biden narrowed the gap to a five and a half point deficit in the 2020 presidential election, top Harris advisers don't harbor any illusions about flipping the state.

But the message from the rally was meant not only for Texans but also voters in the seven crucial battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided Biden's 2020 victory over Trump and are likely to determine if Harris or the former president wins the 2024 election.

While Texas isn't one of those states, it is home to a key Senate race that's among a handful that will decide if the GOP wins back the chamber's majority.